Your heartburn will go on
Sale of Montreal’s iconic Schwartz’s deli to group including Céline Dion has diners fearing franchising
“The place is as much a museum as it is a restaurant. The waiters are also the curators.”
GARRY BEITEL, DIRECTOR OF THE 2006 FILM CHEZ SCHWARTZ
MONTREAL— Snaking lineups outside the city’s iconic Schwartz’s deli are nothing new. On weekends, 30- to 40-minute waits in the cold are to be expected, a long-standing part of the charm.
But an all-day lineup on a weekday is unusual, as it was Tuesday. Montrealers and visitors alike flooded the place in the wake of news that the 84-year-old celebrated institution had been sold for nearly $10 million to a group that includes an even bigger celebrity: Céline Dion.
The place with the famous, steam- ing smoked meat — piled thick on rye with regular mustard — has a history and mythology that longtime customers guard and now worry over with new ownership.
“Hopefully it won’t change. But how do you recoup $10 million? You have to start franchising,” said Montreal resident James Novak, who has been eating at Schwartz’s for 30 years.
Many fear the franchise bogeyman because they feel the uniqueness and special quality of the deli, which claims to be the oldest in Canada, will diminish.
“You can’t maintain the same type of control,” Novak said. On Monday, the families of René Angélil and wife Dion, as well as Paul Nakis, who owns other bars and restaurants in Montreal, signed the deal to buy the deli from Hy Diamond, who has had health issues for the past year. In a news release Monday, Angélil shared his memory of first going to Schwartz’s as a young musician in 1961 with friend Ben Kaye. “I have so many great memories of being there with the guys, and with Céline and our families throughout the years. It’s the most unique restaurant in the world and we’re thrilled to be a part of it,” he said. This is not the first smoked-meat venture for Angélil and Dion. They have also been partners in Nickels, a chain of retro 1950s diners that sells mostly fast foods, including the famous Montreal sandwiches. In an interview, Nakis acknowledged they paid a “high price” for the deli. “Our plans? Oh, just to keep it up and hope to do as well as Mr. Diamond did. That’s about it.” Asked if the icon would stand alone, he said, “I can’t guarantee anything. The only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.” But in Angélil’s statement, he promised not to allow franchises. “Of course, we’ll make a few improvements as necessary, but we’re not interested in diluting the brand by franchising, or making the deli something that it isn’t,” he said. “It’s truly one of a kind, and we intend to keep it this way.”
Garry Beitel, who made 2006 film Chez Schwartz, said the mythology must be maintained. Even standing in line for 40 minutes and then walking into the pungent aroma of smoked meat is part of the experience. So too is sitting shoulders bumping beside a complete stranger, and striking up a conversation.
“The place is as much a museum as it is a restaurant. The waiters are also the curators. You can’t repeat that having a Schwartz’s in every city across Canada,” Beitel said. On Tuesday, diners included Americans, Britons, Egyptians and Christian Bergeron of Trois-rivières, who believes Angélil will “keep the spirit alive. This is not a chain. It’s familial. It’s complex.”